Chioma Umeha

Dr. Ifedayo Odeniyi, an Endocrinologist and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos addressing participants during the capacity building workshop on Diabetes in Lagos, recently. By Chioma Umeha Common belief that diabetes is   a condition   caused by excessive consumption of sugar or certain types of foods were   dismissed by scientists who spoke at an event to observe the World Diabetes Day (WDD) on Tuesday. The scientists made the clarifications at a capacity building workshop on Diabetes with the theme “Equipping Present-day Journalists for Effective Reporting of Diabetes.” They insisted that “it is not sugar or foods that cause diabetes,’’ at the event which was organised   for Health Journalist in Lagos by Sanofi, a global healthcare firm to herald this year’s WDD. Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as Diabetes Mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high bloo

Professor Simon Taylor-Robinson, a Professor of Translational Medicine, St. Mary’s Hospital Campus, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom, Daniel Duvaill, representative of Dr Mahesh Swaminathan, US- CDC Country Director, Prof. Babatunde Salako, Director-General of Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Prof Oni Idigbe, Former Director General NIMR and Alh. Abdulahi Yunusazzazau Director of Administration of the institute during the fourth International Scientific Conference of NIMR in Lagos, recently. By Chioma Umeha To ensure national development and effective response to disease outbreaks, Nigerian scientists and their counterparts from the United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) have advocated adequate funding of innovative medical research. Specifically, the scientists urged the three tiers of government, international and private organisations to provide adequate fund for innovative medical research to promote national development. T

By Chioma Umeha The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) in Nigeria received a boost as Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) disbursed $2.5 million donated by Chevron Corporation, United States, weekend. Announcing the disbursement in Lagos, Mr. Esimaje Brikinn, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, CNL, said the fund is for the implementation of the Chevron-Global Fund Anti-Retroviral Treatment Service Maintenance Programme (ART Programme) in Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo and Lagos States. These funds are in addition to US$6.7 million earlier donated by Chevron to the Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in Bayelsa State. Brikinn, said a final installment of $2.5 million would be disbursed in 2018, to support these HIV programmes, amounting to a total contribution of US$5 million being donated by Chevron. He said the disbursements are part of a nine-year $60 million commitment from Chevron to the Global

By Chioma Umeha Pharmacists under the auspices of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) have alerted that the Federal Government decision to roll out the first locally produced vaccines in July 2019 may not be practicable. Announcing this recently was Ahmed Yakasai, President, PSN at a press briefing in Lagos. According to Yakasai, the plan was aimed at producing vaccines against Yellow fever, Tetanus Toxoid and Hepatitis B. He said: “It is unbelievable that there are so many intrigues. Some people want the process to fail. There are so many interests, even from international bodies. To some, it is either they are involved or it fails. But everything is stabilising now, as the plan is still on, but delayed. “I have visited the Yellow fever vaccine plant in Yaba, Lagos and work is ongoing. The project is capital intensive, but to make it work better, we are encouraging partnerships.” May and Baker Plc, an indigenous pharmaceutical industry, had in June

By Chioma Umeha When you and your partner talk to a doctor about getting help for infertility, he may suggest a technique called “artificial insemination.” It’s a simple procedure with few side effects, and it can help some couples who haven’t been able to get pregnant. In artificial insemination, a doctor inserts sperm directly into a woman’s cervix, fallopian tubes, or uterus. The most common method is called “intrauterine insemination (IUI),” when a doctor places the sperm in the uterus. Why is this helpful? It makes the trip shorter for the sperm and gets around any obstructions. Your doctor may suggest this method first as a treatment for infertility. What Type of Infertility Can Artificial Insemination Treat? The procedure can be used for many kinds of fertility problems. In cases involving male infertility, it’s often used when there’s a very low sperm count or when sperm aren’t strong enough to swim through the cervix and up into the fallopian tub

By Chioma Umeha To reduce high incidence of disabilities in the country, healthcare practitioners, parents and guardians have been advised to fulfill their responsibilities of monitoring their children to ensure early detection and intervention of the predisposing conditions. Giving the advice recently, was the Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State who stressed on increased commitment to developmental assessment of a child’s life, particularly those between the ages zero to three. The Governor said that this would improve the chances of early detection, intervention and ultimately reduce the prevalence disability in the society. The governor who was represented by Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule,   the deputy governor spoke at a stakeholder’s summit in Lagos with a theme: ‘Ability in disability: A Stitch in Time Saves Nine.’ He said the concept of early intervention is based on early identification and treatment of children who have established diagnosis suc

By Chioma Umeha To improve healthcare services, a lifestyle company has unveiled a telemedicine app, dokita247.com in Lagos recently. The app, which is expected to be freely available for every smart phone user in the country will reduce medical tourism, minimise consultation and treatment time between physicians and patients. Announcing this during its launch, Dr. Richard Afonja, the app developer, said the platform can be downloaded on google play store and apple store with any smart phone. Afonja added that there exist real, verified, credentialed and vetted physicians waiting to respond to all health diagnosis and treatment enquiries by patients using the app. “The app is presently being used in in the United States. By January 2018 it will be in effect in Nigeria, and we hope to spread this to other African countries very soon. “Using the app may extend the lifespan of Nigerians as they can seat in the comfort of their home and office for the cons

By Chioma Umeha Irregular or abnormal ovulation accounts for 30 per cent to 40 per cent of all cases of infertility. Having irregular periods, no periods, or abnormal bleeding often indicates that you are not ovulating, a condition known clinically as anovulation. Although anovulation can usually be treated with fertility drugs, it is important to be evaluated for other conditions that could interfere with ovulation, such as thyroid conditions or abnormalities of the adrenal or pituitary glands. Once your doctor has ruled out other medical conditions, he or she may prescribe fertility drugs to stimulate your ovulation. The drug contained in both Clomid and Serophene (clomiphene) is often a first choice because it’s effective and has been prescribed to women for decades. Unlike many infertility drugs, it also has the advantage of being taken orally instead of by injection. It is used to induce ovulation and to correct irregular ovulation by increasing egg recr

Mr. Olumide Akintayo, immediate past president pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), (left); Ahmed Ibrahim Yakasai,PSN President; Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Governor Abia State, during a courtesy call to the Governor in Government House Umuahia for the 90th annual national conference of the society, ‘Abia 2017’ on Monday. By Chioma Umeha Pharmacists under the auspices of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) have stressed the need for the country to achieve self-sufficiency in pharmaceutical production. They noted that this will remove Nigeria from the list of countries that have become dump sites for fake drugs. Speaking for pharmacists was Ahmed Yakasai, President of PSN who spoke at the society’s 90th annual week-long national conference in Umuahia, Abia state which started Monday. Yakasai said that PSN is at the vanguard of ensuring that the country emerge self-sufficiency in medicine production so as to contribute to the nation

Chioma Umeha The Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole has debunked rumours that the Federal government has ran out of stock of the anti-snake venom for the treatment of snake bite victims. Reacting to the report of the death of 91 people as a result of snake bite in Gombe and Plateau Sta te within three weeks, the Health Minister said the Ministry still has some vials of Anti-snake venom stocked in the Federal Ministry of Health, from the 2016 procurement from which States and other treatment centres were issued upon request. “The States in questions, have refused to comply with the new procedure of request, hence their inability to access the product from the ministry,”   he stated. So far, five states have made a request and have been issued for the treatment of victims in the last four months, the last was on September 6, 2017. Prof. Adewole however expressed some apprehension that this year’s procurement may have some hitches because the funding was m